NFL Analyst Says Lions Should Draft Justin Fields
Barring an unforeseen, franchise-altering trade, Jared Goff is going to be the Detroit Lions' starting quarterback to kick off the 2021 NFL season. And the majority of Lions fans are fine with that being the case, viewing Goff as a placeholder-type of QB.
Yet, the confidence level in Goff beyond 2021 isn't that high among both fans and pundits.
Now, if NFL.com analyst Adam Rank had it his way, Detroit would be adding another quarterback to the mix this offseason. His name: Justin Fields.
Rank has the Ohio State product slotted to go to the Lions with the No. 7 overall pick. But, as he put it, it's "merely a suggestion," as part of his "2021 NFL mock draft ... with a twist!"
As Rank writes,
"I know you just traded for Jared Goff. But he's regressed the last couple of years ... with offensive guru Sean McVay. Maybe Goff can thrive with Anthony Lynn in Detroit. You know, the coach who was in charge during Justin Herbert's amazing rookie season? But I think we've seen enough of Goff to know what we're getting. Goff would be fine as, like, the backup in Kansas City or something. Fields could be your QB of the future. And if nothing else, start dropping hints that you want to do that and see if the Panthers would like to jump up and swap picks."
Goff's numbers have declined the past two seasons, after being a Pro Bowler in both 2017 and 2018.
He threw for a career-high 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018. But, then he followed that up in 2019 with just 22 touchdown passes and a career-worst 16 interceptions.
Then, this past season, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick threw just 20 touchdowns -- his fewest amount of TDs for a season in which he started in at least 15 games.
From Rank's perspective, Goff is not going to reenergize the Lions. Meanwhile, the dual-threat Fields has a chance to do so.
Kyle Robertson, Columbus Dispatch, Imagn Content Services, LLC
A 2019 Heisman finalist, Fields finished his 2020 campaign with 158 completions on 225 attempts, 2,100 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. For his efforts, he won the Big Ten Player of the Year for the second straight season.
According to The Draft Network's Kyle Crabbs, the 6-foot-3, 223-pound passer profiles as a franchise quarterback at the NFL level.
As Crabbs pens,
Fields "offers the blend of throwing ability, athleticism, stature and clutch play that will cause NFL teams to fall in love with his evaluation, even if his 2020 campaign showed some cracks in his play. Fields' ability as a passer is top shelf, when accounting for his natural delivery and how easily he's proven to be able to throw around defenders or work himself into generating velocity and accuracy when on the move; the Buckeyes embraced rolling pocket with Fields at quarterback to take advantage of his arm strength and the subsequent access he'll get to all areas of the field as a passer. Fields will kill man-coverage heavy teams with his legs; he's big, strong and yet still quite dynamic as a runner -- so breaking contain and converting third downs with his legs is a large staple of the conflict Fields is capable of putting you into as a player."
Assuming that the San Francisco 49ers take Alabama quarterback Mac Jones at No. 3 overall -- which has been reported as a strong possibility since Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers traded up to get the pick from the Miami Dolphins -- Fields could very well be in play for Detroit at No. 7.
It'd be very tough for Lions general manager Brad Holmes to pass up the opportunity to select the game-changing quarterback. And, if one thing is certain, Rank wouldn't allow Fields to pass him by at No. 7.
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